The Aja Parham Group

March 29 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

$10 admission at the door. $5 with valid student ID. Doors open 15 minutes before music starts.

After a brief hiatus, Aja is making her debut here at Jazz Central joined by Kenneth Garnier on Bass, Steven Hobart on Piano and Ben Boussieres on Guitar. A native to the Twin Cities, Aja has had a life long list of performance achievements, including graduating from The University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, earning a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance. After graduation, she performed with the Minnesota Opera, Penumbra Theatre, and Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. After a time, Aja rekindled her love of Jazz, R&B, and Motown, and started performing as a freelance vocalist throughout the Twin Cities.

Aja has performed alongside many local and national well-known musicians such as saxophonists Wessell Anderson and James Carter, Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, Drummer Francisco Mela, singers Ginger Commodore and Dennis Spears, the Capri Big Band and at such venues and festivals as the Motown museum in Detroit, MI, Dakota Jazz Club, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Selby Jazz Festival, and the Freedom Jazz Festival. As a musician one has to be well rounded and she has done just that and more. Not only a Singer, she is also a Voice instructor, Clinician with the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education, Actress, Photographer, and Graphic Artist. Her repertoire list is extensive, including everything from Classical to Jazz. Coming from a musical family with diverse musical tastes, her influences include Sara Vaughan, Patti Labelle, Anita Baker, Leontyne Price, Teena Marie, Phyllis Hyman, Minnie Ripperton, Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, and the list continues. Though classical music played a big portion of her academic life, Jazz, Pop, R&B, Blues, gospel and Motown also form her diverse knowledge in music and extensive vocal range.